John a



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. GUNN, OF HYDE PARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

SOAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,866,- dated March 18, 1890.

Application filed March 16, 1888. Serial No. 2671399. (Specimensd To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. GUNN, of Hyde Park, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and Improved Soap, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to hard soap; and it consists in combining with the soap animalhair, preferably curled, having appreciable and interlocking and intertwining lengths, and all otherwise so as thereby to impart to the soap a most efficient and durable abrading or scouring characteristic, which is not only analogous to that of a brush, but also is such as in the use of the soap to practically continue to be a part of and inseparable from the soap, all substantially as hereinafter described.

In carrying out this invention the animalhair, curled hair being preferable, of appreciable lengths, and one suitable for its filaments to inter-twine and interlock, is placed in the soap while it isin either a liquid or a semi liquid or a plastic condition and thoroughly incorporated therewith by stirring or crutching the whole together, after which the soap is allowed to solidify and harden, and either whilesolidif yin g and hardening molded, or after solidifying and hardening cut into cakes or bars of any required size and shape.

The manufacture of the soap of itself constitutes, neither as to the ingredients nor as to the method or process thereof, no part of this invention, and either maybe as ordinary or well known or otherwise suitably, except that at a proper stage of its manufacture and when it is either in a liquid or a semi-liquid or plastic condition the hair in appreciable lengths, as stated, is added and thoroughly incorporated therewith, as has been explained.

A desirable and efficient proportion of hair is five pounds to every one hundred. pounds of soap.

The soap of this invention, and as above described, has an abrading or scouring function or characteristic or property imparted to it by the incorporation therewith of the hair, which from practical use has been found to be most efficient and durable, and, .to remain not only substantially intact and inseparable from the soap as it is used, but also its filaments inseparable from each other, whatever may be the portion of the soap remaining,

and this abrading characteristic increases in efficiency as the soap wears away, and more and more resembles a brush in its action and operation on the skin of the person or other surface being washed or cleansed with the soap.

The soap described is particularly useful and beneficial for persons engaged in occupations which begrime'or blacken and otherwise perceptibly and substantially color the skin, and, again, it is especially effi cient in the removal of dirt and stains, which with the soap simply could only, if at all, be removed with much difficulty and exertion.

Curled hair is the most preferable material to use, for reasons which are obvious; and, again, as is plain, as the filaments not only are intertwined and interlockechbutalso with the soap, additional and material strength is thus given to the soap to resist breakage or fracture or crackingobviously a feature of more or less importance.

As well known, the hair neither absorbs liquid nor does it act, from capillary attraction or otherwise, as a conductor for liquid, thus preserving the soap both in and out of use against undue absorption of moisture, and enabling the soap and its hair adjunct described to be thoroughly washed and cleansed of impurities, which, as is plain, are practically on the outer surface of and not in either soap or hair.

I am aware that sand and sawdustand fibers or filaments of wool, silk, cotton, linen, sponge, and hair, in short cuttings or shreds of a tenth of an inch in length, have before been added to soap to impart an increased abrading or scouring characteristic thereto; but all of these combinations of materials with the soap lack an essential characteristic and property of the soap of this inventionto wit, an interlock and intertwine of the filaments themselves, and also of them with the soap, and all of the soaps referred, to as they wear away from use the materials added to them leave and separate from them, whereas in the wearing away of the soap of this invention the hair remains as to its filaments practically inseparable from each other and from the soap.

Again, I am aware that sponge in a whole piece has been charged with soap and made Hard soap having animal-hair in appreinto a cake; but this is different from my inciable and interlocking and intertwining vention, in that the sponge is an absorbent lengths combined therewith, substantially as and a most effective conductor by capillary and for the purpose specified. 5 attraction of moisture-two characteristics foreign to hair-and each and both, for the JOHN A. GUNN. reasons stated, are undesirable in soap.

Having thus described inyinvention, what I Witnesses:

claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, JOHN J. COYLE,

10 is-- ALBERT FISHER. 

